Some 7,000 people have died since January in fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the prime minister of the DRC told a high-level meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday,

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels advanced on Sunday into the centre of Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, meeting little resistance from government troops, witnesses and the armed group said, as Congo accused Rwanda of ignoring calls for a ceasefire.

The defection ceremony took place in front of the provincial police headquarters, drawing the attention of the local population.

Rebel forces have been seen in the center of Bukavu, the second largest city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Sunday, residents told CNN, as the fighters push to expand their foothold in the mineral-rich region.

Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo - Recent ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confirmed on Sunday the entry of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels into Bukavu, a major city in the eastern part of the country.

The capture of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, would represent an unprecedented expansion of territory under the M23's control since the latest insurgency started in 2022 and deal a further blow to Kinshasa's authority in the east.

Bukavu rises from chaos, but scars remain. Looters and rebels left devastation, yet merchants return, clinging to hope. As M23 advances, fear grips the region—will peace hold, or is worse to come?

The Rwandan-backed M23 armed group in Democratic Republic of Congo threatened on Tuesday to advance on the provincial capital of Bukavu, citing a "dangerously deteriorating" situation, as Congo rejected a call for direct talks with the rebels.

The Rwandan-backed rebels' entry into Bukavu follows their capture of Goma, defying international calls for a ceasefire.

M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have captured the eastern city of Bukavu with the backing of Rwandan forces, the second major city in the mineral-rich Kivu region to fall in three weeks.

As armed attacks intensify in North Kivu, villagers plead for prayers after discovering dozens of victims inside a Protestant church — another grim chapter in the region’s deepening crisis.